The present invention relates to a novel and useful animal leash which is intended to remain secured to the animal collar when the animal is being exercised.
In the past, animal leashes have been developed to control animal movements while they are being walked in areas requiring such control, i.e. a public street. A standard animal leash generally has a clip and a tether with a handle at the end opposite the clip. Adjustment of the length of the tether is accomplished by doubling up or coiling the tether in the hand of the animal trainer.
With animals, such as a large dog, the shortening of the tether portion of the lease is a constant problem. Certain leashes are sold which have a shortened tether portion for employment in conjunction with large animals only. However, any of the heretofore described leashes must be removed from the anmial when it is set free and reattached when it is desired to keep the animal close to the master. Releasing the animal with the leash attached poses certain dangers in that the leash may become entangled which will involuntarily arrest the movement of the animal. Also, an animal's paw may be caught in the leash, especially the handle portion of the same, and cause the animal to fall while running.
Animal leashes, such as the one shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,198, are intended to remain secure to the animal continuously. However, such leash mechanisms are unwieldy and unnecessarily heavy. A leash mechanism which may be safely left on the animal while the animal is set free and usable when the animal is recalled to the master would be a useful article in the pet industry.